New Delhi, Despite the Railway Ministry’s claim of operating 18,000 special train trips across the country to clear the festive rush, regular trains continue to be in much greater demand, with waiting lists often exceeding the permissible limit and ticket-booking websites displaying the ‘Regret’ status.
“If you look at the New Delhi-Patna route, Train No. Senior railway officials have suggested that the Railway Ministry should consider keeping fares on special trains lower than those on regular trains, given their longer journey times and uncertain arrival schedules. 04096, a festival special, charges ₹ 1,745 for an AC 3-tier ticket, whereas the regular Sampoorna Kranti Express charges ₹ 1,390,” an official said. “Normally, fares on special trains are up to 30 per cent higher than those on regular trains.
Because passengers are willing to travel even with waiting-list tickets, as these trains generally operate according to their scheduled timings, they stated that regular trains get overcrowded during the festive season.
“Despite the longer scheduled journey time, special trains hardly reach their destinations on time, often resulting in a tiring journey of 25 to 30 hours,” he said. Another official said that while regular trains generally run on schedule, special trains are often delayed by several hours, causing uncertainty and inconvenience to passengers. Moreover, we have to create separate paths for these trains, keeping in mind the capacity constraints on particular routes,” a senior railway official said.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday during a media interaction that all trains were being monitored closely through a special War Room set up at Rail Bhawan to ensure their safe and timely arrival at destinations.
